The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-01
tc- he'll. He'll come nrtcr you mex time

Bl ct lhnID-l uOn spec nulAln else. ~
- wun't n cussn', Br'er jim, said
Isam. II jil' said durn it, en- dat amt
cussin'."
ava: is it. den, ef faint cussin'i"
II dunno, " said isam, but faint cuss-
in, knows dat"
"Wcll, go on, go on" said the preacher
Ego on an see " at Satin III call it wen
he come 10 cit yer; # faint cussin' It's
foolshness, en- OATS ies' es bad"
In the meantime the noise at the bot
tom Of the well had ceased and the negroes
stood in silent awe listening intently.
"Dey's gone, " said one under his breath:
ode dcDbel done drug m down wild i'm. ="
30, my bruthrin,n said the preacher,
"ain't yer gwine ter tuck warnin' by dis
here sampled How does yer know but
some on ycr'n be called ter follow i'm,
en- den wharll yer bc-whar / say Does
yer know No, yer don't. But / does
Ncrl be whar Their fire amt nuver
squinched; whar yer'll heye ter eat brim-
stone en- drink biiin' pitch; ycr'u be in
Their claws NV satan en- he'll tramp on yer
wild Us hufTs, en- he'll butt yer wild is
horns, en- he'll pitch yer wild IS pitchfo'k.
Yes, my bruthrin, yer kin cuss den, en-
de mo- yer cuss de better he'll like ii en-
de mo- he'll laugh Amt yer gwine ter
stop dis lynn en- cussin' en- stealth TO
it's too Inter"
Wat dat yer says bout stealin', Br' Ter
JmT said lsam. "WhO ben a-stealin'T
Don't yer know. Brer Isumf asked
Jim sarcastically. "Who was Il went
inter ole masscrs million patch en- tuck is
watcrmilliOnsri
81 dunno who tuck um, ~ said Isam;
"but who eat um2 tell me dat 80
Oats anudder ting, replied jim.
"Ef man steal a boss, is IL furbid dat !
shill ride 'imY
81 dunno bout dat, " said Isam; "but ef
dc man VS. at dat boss long ter fin yer
on he back I reckin he gwin tell yer some
pm bout IT,"
"Ughw calculated Jim just here-his
face was turned toward the well-''w at
dc dcbbel datf'
His little congregation looked round to
see what 10 was that seemed 10 have
frightened jim.
"My gawdcrmighty" cried Isam. cole
Fuudy done fowt de debbel en- whip'im, "
and then the negroes all ran away, scat
tering in every direction.
Old Fundy's head and shoulders APP
peared just above the surface Of the
ground. be having climbed up by the rope
attached TO the windlass. His hands were
covered with blood, of which there were
glouts on his grim weather beaten face
and his flannel shirt Climbing high
enough TO step on to the solid earth be
limped 10 pile Of bricks and sat down,
rubbing his legs, mutterug curses 10 him
self BY aud boy he got up, and picking
up piece of rope lying near wound 10
around his body aud descended into the
wei. from which, after "a little while, he
emerged again and began 10 turn the
windlass. To seemed TO task his strength
somewhat 10 wind the rope up, as If there
were a heavy burden attached to it, but
Ina time the big dirt tub appeared, and in
d. tied tightly, lest it should fall out, was
gOal-a big billy goat, only half Of
which was i'm the tub, the hind quarters
hanging over the side Holding the wind
lass with one hand while he landed his
load with the other. the old well digger
with O. few imprecati0us scarce mete for
ears polite, proceeded 20 unfasten the car
cas- and drag 10 ont of the way, after
which he sat down o. recover his breath
The old man bad come at daybreak 70
h.s work, and while awaiting the arrival
of his assistant, lsam, had busted himself
selecting bricks for the first corners of the
curbIng lie then examined the windlass
and JOS appurtcnances to see that the con
slant friction had done no damage for
load Of bricks on a mans head isnO pleas
ami reminder of his own Careiessncss.
There was am old billy goat rowing about
the lot veteran with the beard OF
prophet, but Fundy hadn't noticed him,
and while he was STOPPING over making the
knot. that attached the tub 10 the rope
more secure, the goat, as # curious to see
what De was about, had come close up be-
MndhIm Whether he suddenly took itmto
bis head that the old man, who in that
pO-itIon appeared 20 be q quadruped, was
another goat. on whether he was moved 10y
the natural desire 10 butt when there was
a fair target 90 butt at, 10 is impossible To
decide. but certain 1t Is his 'rambunk-
Sous instincts brought him up ON
his hind legs in IA bellgerent att
mle. from which he came down
with vim that sent the old
man down TO the bottom of the well
Fortunately Fundy landed on his feet he
having. with that impulse which prompts
MS To- grasp anything within reach TO save
ourselves caught the rope and gone
down clnging to IL, the tub pressed out
i'm front of him and dragging against the
side of the well. acting as q break.
But he had hardly reached the end Of
his rapid downward journey when his as
salant. like that famous heroine Of Mother
Goose memory, came tumbling after for
the impetus of the blow had carried the
eiycr MS we'll as the receiver into the trap,
as frequently happens in more important
affairs
The water in the well was not as yet
very deep. and standing In it he and the
old goat fought it out-old Fundy, with
the AID Of clasp knife That he bad in his
pocket. coming ont victorious. Robert
Boggs I'm Times Democrat.